Signal acquisition devices such as digital storage oscilloscopes (DSOs) and the like typically include a triggering means by which the display or acquisition of a signal under test (SUT) may be synchronized to a specific event or events. A DSO, for example, may include means for operationally combining a plurality of trigger input conditions to produce a compound trigger event. For example, in a four channel DSO, where each of the four input channels includes respective trigger processing circuitry, four respective channel trigger signals may be logically processed (e.g., ANDed) together to produce a compound trigger signal. The compound trigger signal may then be applied to one or more of the input channels to acquire data of a specific type. DSOs also provide a full range of analog triggering functions such as, rising edge, pulsewidth, and runt triggering.
Unfortunately, there is at present no capability to derive a compound trigger condition utilizing more than the available number of channels on a particular instrument. Moreover, to the extent that trigger signals are communicated between instruments, many individual cables are necessary to achieve such communication.
What is needed is an apparatus and method to accomplish the above, without subjecting the user to the complexities of coupling multiple trigger signal cables to each instrument.